From
Measuring Up to Pouring Out
Shannon Popkin leads women away from a
life
of comparison toward a mind-set of serving
I wish I were tall like her. If only my
kids got along the way her kids do. Why does she always seem to
have it all together? Women compare
themselves constantly. On social media, in their neighborhood, at
church, at work, even in the school drop-off lane, they glance
sideways and ask, “How do I measure up?” Behind all this comparison
is an enemy gaining tactical advantage.
In her new Bible study, Comparison Girl: Lessons from Jesus
on Me-Free Living in a Measure-Up World (Kregel
Publications/May 19, 2020/ISBN: 9780825446214/ $16.99), author and
speaker Shannon Popkin invites women to leave
measure-up comparison behind and connect with those around them by
choosing Jesus’s me-free way of living. It’s a real chance to break
free from the shackles of comparison.
Popkin confesses her own struggle with comparison literally goes as
far back as she can remember and suspects her readers can relate.
Her earliest memory is of her four-year-old self holding her
songbook upside down in church. When a woman from the pew behind
reached forward to turn the book right side up, Popkin felt
embarrassed and exposed—clearly the watching world now knew she
could not read. It may seem silly in retrospect, but Popkin admits
the same could be said of many of her current struggles. “Why do I
worry about being exposed as a less-than-perfect mom? Or a
middle-aged woman who struggles with her weight? Or a Christian who
still sins? My heart, since childhood, has been bent on
perfectionism, pride, and measuring up—which has not led to great
freedom and joy. Instead, it’s led to a great fear of what people
think and a great dread of being found lacking.”
Comparison follows women through every stage of life, leading
either to a sense of superiority (pride, perfectionism, arrogance,
or judgmental criticism) or inferiority (insecurity, shame,
jealousy, and self-consciousness). Satan loves to perpetuate
comparison-driven bondage and isolation, but Jesus wants to set
women free.
Equating our lives to a measuring cup, Popkin invites readers to
live by the spout, not by the lines. “Picture yourself holding a
glass measuring cup with red lines on the side. Mingled in your cup
are all the things which set you apart—your gifts, aptitudes, and
talents. Your personality is mixed in, along with your family
background. This cup holds your life’s potential, measured out by
God. Satan wants you to focus on the lines—holding your cup next to
this person’s and that one’s. He says that to make something of
yourself, you have to measure up—then he shames you when you
don’t,” she explains. “Jesus, however, turns your attention to your
measuring cup’s spout, saying that you were designed, not to
measure up, but to pour yourself out. And he shows you how it’s
done. He lived by the spout, emptying himself of status and pouring
his life out on the cross, giving his life as a ransom for many.”
Suited for both individual and group study, Comparison
Girl is a six-week Bible study that guides readers to
examine conversations Jesus had and parables he shared with disciples,
tax collectors, and Pharisees, who also were comparing. Each
chapter is divided into lessons, allowing women on a time budget to
read a Bible passage, engage in a complete train of thought related
to the topic, and then make the content personal—all in one
sitting. Rather than feeling preached to, women will engage with
Popkin’s informal teaching tone as if they’re meeting with a
trusted friend.
Readers of Popkin’s best-selling release Control
Girl may find themselves in Comparison Girl as
well. “I wrestle daily with comparison, and I’ve noticed that my
struggles with control and comparison are related. As I look to the
side, measuring myself against others, I’m often laser-focused on
things that are out of my control,” she admits. Yet, there is hope.
“You are different from other people by God’s intentional design.
Anything in your measuring cup is a gift from Him. As you tip your
cup and pour into others, the measuring stops. The more you pour,
the more God fills your cup with freedom, confidence, and joy.”
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